Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

The Department of Climate, Environment and Energy (Irish: An Roinn Aeráide, Comhshaoil agus Fuinnimh) is a department of the Government of Ireland that is responsible for the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors and regulates, protects and develops the natural resources of Ireland. The head of the department is the Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy.

Department of Climate, Environment and Energy

Department overview
Formed	26 August 1921
Jurisdiction	Government of Ireland
Headquarters	Tom Johnson House, Haddington Road, Dublin 53.335849°N 6.234909°W / 53.335849; -6.234909
Employees	500
Minister responsible	Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy
Department executive	Oonagh Buckley, Secretary General
Website	Official website

Departmental team

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the Department are at Tom Johnson House, Beggar's Bush, Dublin. The departmental team consists of the following:

• Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy: Darragh O'Brien, TD
  • Minister of State for the circular economy: Alan Dillon, TD
  • Minister of State for the marine: Timmy Dooley, TD
• Secretary General of the Department: Oonagh Buckley

Overview

The department has responsibilities in the areas of:

Energy

• To develop a competitive energy supply industry
• To ensure security and reliability of energy supply
• To develop energy conservation and end-use efficiency.

Communications

• Communications development – promotion of the provision and development of competitive high quality and world class services in the communications, electronic and mobile commerce sectors.
• Business and technology – focusing on new business and technology applications and the development of policies, initiatives and legislation as appropriate.
• Regulatory affairs – the development of effective policies for the regulation of the electronic communications sector and management of the radio frequency spectrum.
• Postal services – the development of an effective policy for the Irish postal sector based on open market principles.
• It is seen as a successor to the old Department of Posts and Telegraphs.

Natural Resources

• The Petroleum Affairs Division aims to:
  • maximise the benefits to the State from exploration for and production of indigenous oil and gas resources;
  • ensure that activities are conducted safely and with due regard to their impact on the environment and other land/sea users.
• The Exploration and Mining Division of the department is charged with:
  • applying the Minerals Development Act to minerals exploration and development;
  • encouraging the early identification and responsible development by private investors of the Nation's minerals deposits in accordance with best international practice;
  • enhancing the attractiveness of Ireland for international and national minerals investment by active promotional measures.
• The Geological Survey of Ireland is:
  • Ireland's National Earth Science Agency, and is responsible for providing geological advice and information.

Structure

The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications is subdivided into the following divisions:

• Climate – The Department has three major aims regarding climate change: To develop a competitive energy supply industry, to ensure security and reliability of energy supply, and to develop energy conservation and end-use efficiency.
• Communications – The core policy objective of the Communications Sector is to contribute to sustained macro-economic growth and competitiveness and ensure that Ireland is best placed to avail of the emerging opportunities provided by the information and knowledge society, by promoting investment in state-of-the-art infrastructures, by providing a supportive legislative and regulatory environment and by developing a leading edge research and development reputation in the information, communications and digital technologies.
• Natural Resources – This division is subdivided into three sectors: the Exploration and Mining Division, Petroleum Affairs Division, and the Geological Survey of Ireland.

Affiliated bodies

Among the State Agencies and other bodies affiliated to the Department in some way are:

• Commission for Regulation of Utilities
• Commission for Communications Regulation
• National Cyber Security Centre
• Digital Hub Development Agency
• National Digital Research Centre
• Geological Survey of Ireland
• Mining Board
• Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
• National Oil Reserves Agency
• Central and Regional Fisheries Boards
• Loughs Agency of the Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission (North/South body)

Among the state-sponsored bodies of Ireland under the aegis of the Minister are:

• Electricity Supply Board
• Bord na Móna
• EirGrid
• An Post
• Irish National Petroleum Corporation

History

The Department of Fisheries was created in 1921 during the Ministry of Dáil Éireann. It was given a statutory basis by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, soon after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. This act provided it with:^[1]

the administration and business generally of public services in connection with fisheries, including deep-sea fisheries, tidal waters fisheries, coastal fisheries, inland waters fisheries, and industries connected with or auxiliary to the same, and all powers duties and functions connected with the same, and shall include in particular the business powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public services specified in the Seventh Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled, an t-Aire Iascaigh or (in English) the Minister for Fisheries.

The Schedule assigned it with the duties of the following bodies:^[2]

• Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland—Fisheries Branch.
• Congested Districts Board for Ireland—Fisheries Branch, and Rural Industries Branch.
• The Conservators of Fisheries.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

The name and functions of the department have changed several times by statutory instruments.

Date	Change
2 June 1924	Establishment of the Department of Fisheries[3]
22 July 1927	Transfer of Irish Land Commission from the Department of Agriculture[4]
1 September 1928	Renamed as the Department of Lands and Fisheries[5]
1 December 1933	Transfer of Forestry from the Department of Agriculture[6]
1 April 1934	Renamed as the Department of Lands Transfer of Fisheries to the Department of Agriculture[7]
9 April 1957	Transfer of Fisheries from the Department of Agriculture[8]
3 May 1965	Transfer of Fisheries to the Department of Agriculture[9]
8 February 1977	Transfer of Lands to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries[10]
8 February 1977	Transfer of Fisheries from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries[11]
9 February 1977	Renamed as the Department of Fisheries[12]
19 February 1978	Renamed as the Department of Fisheries and Forestry[13]
18 February 1986	Transfer of Tourism from the Department of Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism[14]
18 February 1986	Renamed as the Department of Tourism, Fisheries and Forestry[15]
19 March 1987	Renamed as the Department of the Marine[16]
31 March 1987	Transfer of Shipping from the Department of Communications[17]
31 March 1987	Transfer of Tourism to the Department of Tourism and Transport[18]
31 March 1987	Transfer of Forestry and Wildlife to the Department of Energy[19]
11 July 1997	Transfer of Forestry from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry[20]
12 July 1997	Renamed as the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources[21]
15 July 1997	Transfer of Mining from the Department of Public Enterprise[22]
1 October 1997	Transfer of Offshore Exploration from the Department of Public Enterprise[23]
18 June 2002	Transfer of Broadcasting from the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands[24]
18 June 2002	Transfer of Communications from the Department of Public Enterprise[25]
19 June 2002	Renamed as the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources[26]
1 January 2004	Transfer of Forestry to Department of Agriculture and Food[27]
19 October 2007	Transfer of Fisheries to Department of Agriculture and Food[28]
20 October 2007	Renamed as the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources[29]
1 January 2008	Transfer of Ordnance Survey Ireland from the Department of Finance[30][31]
14 January 2015	Transfer of Worker Participation from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport[32]
1 January 2016	Transfer of Ordnance Survey Ireland to the Department of Justice and Equality[33]
22 July 2016	Transfer of Climate Action and Environment from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government[34]
23 July 2016	Renamed as the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment[35]
22 September 2020	Transfer of Broadcasting to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
22 September 2020	Renamed as the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications